For Congress: Dems should consider James Cargas

James Cargas would be a voice for Houston, and a wise Democratic primary choice.

Copyright 2014: Houston Chronicle

Updated 10:31 pm, Tuesday, February 25, 2014

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For Congress: Dems should consider James Cargas

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Whomever wins in the Democratic primary for U.S. House 7th District will face an uphill battle in a Republican-friendly district to defeat Rep. John Culberson. But voters can also look at this race as something more than preparation for November. The choice in this primary reflects a decision that Texas Democrats will have to make if they ever find electoral success: the tempered insider or the strident activist. It is a choice that Republicans have had to grapple with for some time. Sometimes it is a division over policy, sometimes over strategy, but it rarely leaves everyone satisfied.

So, in this race we provide the same advice for Democrats that we give Republicans: Go for the candidate who talks about Houston issues and not just in cable news quotes. That candidate is James Cargas.

His career in oil and gas has sent Cargas, 47, from the Clinton White House to City Hall and the energy corridor. That's experience tailor-made to represent the district, which stretches west from Bellaire and the Galleria area, following Interstate 10 as its northern barrier before turning north to follow Highway 6. It is a district filled with energy company high-rises, and they need a representative who understands the nuances of the industry.

Cargas peppers his speeches with quotes from George Mitchell about reasonable regulation and focuses his regulatory eye on irresponsible operators who give the industry a bad reputation. It is the sort of voice that Houston needs in D.C.

His opponent, Lissa Squires, would rather condemn the oil industry with a broad stroke: "It's not just bad operators, it's all the big companies," she told the Chronicle. That sort of rhetoric may get applause on MSNBC or DailyKos, but not in Texas. She even argued that every problem facing our city, from unemployment to payday lending, "can be regulated from D.C."

Both Democrats and Republicans are guilty of viewing every issue through the lens of national politics. We need candidates who understand issues from the view of Houston.

Cargas will support fracking, fight to bring federal grants to the Texas Medical Center and put his city first.

Squires can join the tea party with her all-or-nothing attitude. But Cargas should join his Democratic peers on the ballot in November.